How to wash a wig made from natural and synthetic hair at home, how to dry and comb after washing?

Natural or synthetic strands require regular care. During wear, dust, remnants of styling products, sweat, and cosmetics accumulate on the curls.

Even with careful handling, wigs need to be cleaned and washed several times a year.

We will tell you in this article how to properly wash a wig made from natural and synthetic hair at home.

Is it possible?

A wig made from synthetic or human hair can be washed by hand. Machine washable, even in a special mesh bag, is prohibited .

Several factors influence how often the strands need to be processed:

Hair type : Natural curls get dirty faster.
Humidity: the higher it is, the faster the wig gets dirty.
Length: Short strands need to be processed less frequently than long strands.

Experts recommend washing your wig after 10–12 uses, but paying attention to the condition of your hair. If they are visually clean, without an unpleasant odor, you can wait a while with washing. At the same time, it is not recommended to wash the pads more than once every 45 days.

When should you wash your wig?

Cleaning artificial hair depends on many factors, consider them:

Frequency of wearing. If you wear a wig every day, then you need to wash it every 10-15 days (it is better to have several wigs to reduce wear and tear). A wig that you don't wear often needs to be washed once every 2-4 months to freshen it from dust that has time to settle.
Lengths of artificial hair. Long hair gets dirty much faster than short hair, so you need to wash it more often.
The material from which the wig is made. Products made from synthetic fibers get dirty very quickly, so if they are used frequently, they must be cleaned frequently.

How to clean at home?

The rules of care and the algorithm for cleaning a wig at home depend on the material from which it is made.

From natural hair

The rules for washing natural hair extensions are similar to the principles of caring for your own hair:

Before washing, curls should be carefully combed with a wide-tooth comb.
Prepare warm water.
Wet the wig and lather it with mild shampoo.
Wash carefully, paying special attention to the areas of the forehead, temples, and back of the head.
Rinse off the foam with low pressure of water from the shower head, moving from the roots to the ends of the hair.
Apply balm. Its use is necessary to soften, remove static electricity, and restore hair structure.
Leave for 10–15 minutes, rinse.
Dry the wig with a towel. You cannot twist, pull, or rub the strands!
Dry flat on a dry towel. To speed up the process, you can use a warm hairdryer. But it can damage the original styling.

It is advisable to wash the wig in soft water. To do this, you can boil it or add a little baking soda.

Natural hair can be styled with a hairdryer or curling iron, working at the ends of the hair. It is also acceptable to recolor the strands, use a variety of care products, and corrective haircuts.

From artificial

Caring for a synthetic wig depends on the quality of the material used.

Vinyl, acrylic, polyamide

Such curls are very capricious, quickly get dirty, tangled, and split at the ends. The head in such a wig quickly sweats, which causes an unpleasant odor.

You need to wash such curls in the same way as natural ones:

gently moisten in warm water;
lather, rinse well;
rinse under running water;
treat with conditioner, squeeze, dry well.

The use of a hairdryer, curling iron, or straightener is prohibited.

Kanekalon and thermal fiber

These are higher quality materials. The hair looks natural and retains its shape and volume well. They are elastic, easy to comb, and do not tangle.

It is better to process such products in boiled water:

You need to dilute a little shampoo for dry hair in a basin.
Soak the pad for 10 minutes.
Carefully process the strands along the entire length, paying attention to the frontal, temporal and occipital areas.
Rinse under cold running water.
Dilute conditioner for brittle hair in a bowl of water. Leave the wig for 20 minutes.
Gently pat hair dry with a soft towel. The balm does not need to be washed off.
Dry.

Blow drying is acceptable, but only with cold air. Thermal fiber wig is not afraid of high temperatures. Curls can be styled using an iron or curling iron.

How to dry and style a wig

Place the wig slightly dried in a towel on a stand or blank and leave to dry completely. You need to dry your strands away from radiators, radiators and sunlight. The product should also be stored away from high temperatures on a stand or blank.

For storage, you can also take a classic three-liter jar. A jar, blank or stand is also suitable for drying or storing a hat, cap or baseball cap. How to properly wash a cap and baseball cap without harming the material and visor, read here.

When the wig is dry, comb your hair and give the product its previous shape and volume. Do not comb wet strands! Long, curly and wavy curls are straightened with your hands, short ones can be combed with a special brush. To restore the previous volume, use a light-hold varnish. If desired, you can use classic curlers.

Artificial wigs cannot be cared for using a hot hair dryer, curling iron, curling iron, hot rollers, tongs or other electrical appliances! They will ruin the product. As a last resort, use a hairdryer with cold air.

How to remove shine from synthetic strands?

The cheap shine of synthetic strands spoils the entire impression of the image . This drawback is typical for curls made of acrylic, vinyl or polyamide, but it also occurs in more expensive products made of thermal fiber or kanekalon.

Shine is given to hair by a special impregnation, which manufacturers use to add volume, fix hairstyles, and protect against tangling.

To remove it:

Strands must be soaked for 12 hours in a solution with any conditioner for delicate laundry (Lenor, Meine Liebe, BioMio). Then squeeze out (without rinsing) and dry well.
A more gentle method is treatment with dry shampoo, powder or powder. Using a large brush, apply the product to the entire length of the hair, comb through, and shake off excess. This method is suitable for both white or blond and dark hair.

To remove shine from an artificial wig, you can use professional care products: shampoos, foams, mousses, balms.

Washing artificial hair

You can learn how to wash a synthetic wig from the following points:

You need to dissolve 10–15 milliliters of detergent in a liter of warm water.
Next, you need to soak the product in soapy water for a few minutes.
Then you need to rinse the pads in cool water and dry with a towel.
You can apply a little conditioner to damp curls to add shine and volume.

Important! Do not wash your artificial wig with hot water as this will damage it. Straight curls will become wavy, and curly ones, on the contrary, will straighten. In addition, hot water will damage their structure and integrity.

How to dry?

It is better to dry artificial or natural strands naturally, placing them horizontally on a soft, dry towel.

To speed up the process, you can use a hairdryer with a weak, cold air flow. You should only process the ends of the strands, otherwise you can damage not only the styling, but also the base to which the hair is attached.

After the water has drained, to maintain its shape, the wig must be placed on a special stand or on a jar. Drying curls in the wind, frost or open sun is prohibited .

You can use the pad after washing no earlier than 10–12 hours later. This is exactly the amount of time needed for proper drying.

If your curls become deformed during washing or drying, you should not try to style them yourself. It is better to seek help from specialist hairdressers.

Drying a synthetic wig

After you have washed your wig, you must dry it:

First, the water should drain well from the wig. To do this, spread a towel on a horizontal surface (table, ironing board) and place the washed item on it. In a couple of hours, the water will be completely absorbed into the towel.
When the liquid has completely drained, the wig should be placed on the mannequin's head to allow the hair to dry naturally.

Important! Do not use a hairdryer for drying, as synthetic fibers will begin to melt and deform.

How to comb and style after washing?

You can only comb dry hair . Wet curls are easily deformed, stretched, and styling gets ruined.

For combing, you should choose a wooden comb with sparse teeth (distance 4–5 mm). You can restore the fullness of short hair with a massage brush.

It is better to handle curls and tight curls with your hands: carefully run your fingers along the entire length.

If all rules are followed, the styling on artificial or natural hair will remain intact after washing.

To curl straight strands, do not use a curling iron or flat iron. To avoid damaging the hair structure, you can use regular curlers:

you need to wet your hair, divide it into strands, curl it;
let dry naturally, without a hair dryer;
lay and secure with varnish.

If your hair is deformed or you decide to change your look, you should entrust styling to professionals.

How to wash your hair with clips

Artificial strands on clips are a lifesaver for girls who want to frequently change their looks and experiment with hairstyles. Lengthen your hair, make bangs, add extra volume or hide imperfections - it’s as easy as shelling pears with the help of false curls. But to make them look beautiful, they require high-quality care and regular washing.

The technology for washing hair on clips is no different from that used to care for artificial wigs:

Pour cool boiled water into a bowl and add a tablespoon of shampoo.
Place the product in water and leave for 10-15 minutes.
Very dirty hairpins should be carefully wiped with a sponge.
Place wet curls on a cotton napkin and leave to dry undisturbed. It is IMPOSSIBLE to squeeze, rub or twist!
Only thermal fiber curls can be dried with a hot hair dryer. But it is better to let the artificial hair dry on its own.
You can comb the strands only after drying.

Attention! Under no circumstances should you attach still-wet hair extensions with clips to your own hair and blow-dry them all together.

You shouldn’t skimp on beauty, so buy high-quality artificial extensions and tresses that will last for several years. If you are not limited in finances, it is better to pay attention to products made from natural hair - they can be dyed to match your own hair and curled in the usual way (curling iron, hot rollers).

Tips and tricks

In order not to damage the strands, you should follow simple recommendations:

Wash in cold or lukewarm water (at a temperature not exceeding 30 degrees).
Use quality shampoo.
Rinse under weak running water.
Don't forget about the air conditioner.
Do not squeeze, twist, or rub.
Dry naturally, in a well-ventilated area. Place the wig on a special stand or on a jar.
Do not use a hot hairdryer.

You will find maximum useful information about washing clothes and various fabric products here.

Synthetics

The procedure for washing artificial wigs (acrylic, polyamide, vinyl) is not much different from caring for a natural product. Before washing the extension at home, comb the strands with a comb or detangle them with your hands. It is advisable to wash your wig in a bowl of warm water. Washing under the tap (under low pressure of warm water) is allowed. Synthetic hair is prone to tangling, so avoid sudden, rough movements.

After rinsing off the shampoo, apply a conditioner or mask for brittle hair. This will make further combing and styling easier. The use of hair dryers, irons, curling irons and drying near heat sources is strictly prohibited. Place the wrung-out wig on a jar or special stand and leave to dry completely at room temperature. At home it should be stored on a special or simulated holder.

Tips for caring for your wig

Wigs can be artificial or natural. Both species look excellent and are difficult for a non-professional to distinguish between. Unlike a natural wig, an artificial wig will cost several times less; it is often chosen. Different manufacturing materials dictate their own care conditions.

How to care for a synthetic hair wig?

1. Cleansing

Artificial hair does not absorb dirt as intensely as natural hair. The frequency of washing is not strictly regulated; it depends on several factors:

period of use;
air humidity (high contributes to rapid pollution);
hair length, hairstyle (long, flowing hair gets dirty more often);
the place where they wear it (in street conditions, wigs get dirty faster).

If you can see that the hair looks worse, the hairstyle is not full, the wig needs to be washed. Take soft water (boiled, with the addition of soda 2 tsp per 1 liter), shampoo and conditioner specially designed for wigs. Comb your artificial hair before washing.

Do not use a hairdryer; adjust the shape only with your hands. Comb after drying, tangled areas are sorted out by hand, and only then go through with a comb. To avoid hair tangling, combing is done after each wear. For convenience, it is better to choose a special anti-tangle comb, such as the Tangle Teezer.

Laying

Synthetic pile cannot be subjected to heat treatment or laying on curlers. Only natural straightening on a special form, combing carefully.

Storage

Put it on a special uniform, put a mesh on top, ensure air flow. Do not wrinkle the product; if your hair is long, it can be pulled into a ponytail. Cover from dust with a handkerchief, do not put the product in a plastic bag, avoid exposure to the sun's rays.

The methods for caring for artificial hair with clips are similar to caring for wigs. They need to be removed from the hair very carefully and carefully untangled.

Attention!

Wash and dry in the same way as wigs.

How to care for a human hair wig?

Cleansing

Select specialized products – shampoo, conditioner. When pre-combing, do not touch the base of the wig with your teeth. High-pressure washing can cause tangling. Combing while wet is not recommended, as the strands will become tangled.

Laying

Natural hair can be curled with an iron, curled with a curling iron, or curlers. The result is secured with styling products. Dyeing and perming are allowed.

Instead of a wig, you can use a special styling - carving, which will reduce the time of creating a styling several times.

Proper storage

Put it on the form, store it so that there is free access to air, remove it periodically and shake it. Avoid creasing, deformation, storage in polyethylene. Due to the fact that, unlike living hair, nutrients do not reach the hair on a wig, it loses its shine. To add shine, they need to be coated with a special spray with a moisturizing effect.